Take your prints and patterns game notches higher

 Of all the tenets of dressing well, ‘do not clash patterns’ seems like one that should always hold water. Deliberately playing around with prints and patterns is to design an outfit that looks like it shouldn’t go together. How could that be stylish? Oh, how things have changed. These days, dressing with discord has become a badge of honour, with plaids and stripes now co-existing in menswear harmony.

Checks

Arguably the most popular pattern (on account of being the one guys find most easy to wear), checks have infiltrated every corner of the wardrobe, from suiting and knitwear right through to streetwear. A check-on-check look is surprisingly simple to pull off provided both are noticeably different and aren’t competing for attention. 

Stripes

The horizontal prints of the Breton top have long been a menswear favourite (if you’re in any doubt as to why, just watch James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause), but in recent seasons bars of a vertical persuasion have also climbed the ranks. Historically, this would have meant discreet pinstripes and chalk stripes on suiting and shirts, but now almost anything goes.

Paisley

Paisley print is such a busy and intense pattern that in most cases it’s best to tone it down by pulling a single colour from the design and using that elsewhere in your outfit.

Polka Dots

Because of their round shape, polka dot prints work well with straight-lined patterns like checks and stripes – for example, a polka dot tie against a gingham shirt. Match the palette of your accessories with your suit and let the pop of the dots do the talking. A more daring look would be to combine a check suit with a pinstripe shirt and a polka dot tie. Again, just keep the palette tight throughout so as not to drown out the patterns.